Trump touts Clarksville soldier's heroism during State of the Union

A Clarksville soldier became a central figure of heroism in President Donald Trump's State of the Union address Tuesday night.

The story of Staff Sgt. Justin Peck, a 5th Special Forces Group soldier stationed at Fort Campbell, became a memorable moment from Trump's first such address to Congress when touting successes against ISIS in Syria and Iraq.

Staff Sgt. Justin Peck stands as he is acknowledged by President Donald Trump during the State of ...more

Staff Sgt. Justin Peck stands as he is acknowledged by President Donald Trump during the State of the Union address on Jan. 30, 2018 from the House chamber of the United States Capitol in Washington.

Stacy was injured in an explosion while clearing a hospital, Trump said, and Peck saved his life by applying pressure to wounds, intubating him and performing CPR and artificial respiration for two and a half hours.

"Kenton Stacy would have died if not for Justin’s selfless love for a fellow warrior," Trump said.

Peck's story was met with loud applause and a standing ovation, one of several during the address.

Peck's story was followed by an unexpected announcement that Trump had signed an executive order reversing President Barack Obama's order to close the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and referencing the lengthy war in Afghanistan.

The story provided one of the first faces to any front-line U.S. soldiers who have been on combat missions or injured in Syria.

Reach Jake Lowary at jlowary@tennessean.com or on Twitter at @JakeLowary.